Daily Office Readings for Monday of the 3rd Week of Epiphany: Year 1
Morning, Psalms 41 and 52; Evening, Psalm 44:
Isaiah 48:1-11; Galatians 1:1-17; Mark 5:21-43:
“He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” (Mark 5:34)
This is the story of Jesus on his way to Jairus’ home to attend to Jairus’ daughter. And while this story begins and ends with the little girl, on the way a sick woman gives Jesus an unexpected opportunity.
She has been bleeding for 12 years. She has tried everything and every doctor for help to no avail. Now she puts her hopes and faith in Jesus. She self talks to herself and says that if she could just touch his clothes she would be made well. And she was. When Jesus approaches her about what she did, she confesses. And Jesus says to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.
So once again, God in Christ Jesus is using the faith already in us, to fix us. It is amazing that God puts this faith in us from the beginning and then waits patiently until we ask for help. Then God reaches in and activates our medicine in us to fix us. I often refer to our faith as our Faith First Aid Kit.
In the Marine Corps each Marine wore a first aid kid on the belt. This kit was for the person it was belted to, not for anyone found hurt. Therefore, we wanted to make sure the first-aid kit contained all that was necessary if someone found us injured. In which case they could take what we had on our belt and treat us. Our faith is like a Faith-kit.
We keep our faith kits up-to-date by regular prayer, study and worship. God, then uses our faith to heal us. As Jesus says, “Your faith has made you well.” Faith not used is faith lost.
Today we remember John Chrysostom: Bishop of Antioch and of Constantinople, Preacher, Theologian and Liturgist, and his information may be found at: John Chrysostom
As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
Let us pray:
O Lord God, please keep us ever mindful of the importance of maintaining our God-given faith with regular prayer, study and worship so that in our time of need You may make us well. Amen.
onewhoponders 